PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Dan Field was named Director of the Joint Office of Homeless Services in April 2023.

Field, a Kaiser Permanente executive, replaced former director Marc Jolin who resigned in March 2022. The joint office was formed seven years ago and is under increased scrutiny, as a Multnomah County audit found several issues that undermine its effectiveness at a time when homelessness continues to plague the city.

The joint office has a $294 million budget, about $40 million of which comes from the City of Portland. But they have had a hard time getting that money out the door. As a result, one of the biggest criticisms of the joint office is a perceived lack of coordination between Multnomah County and the City of Portland.

Field stopped by Eye on Northwest Politics to discuss this disconnect, the takeaways from the report by Multnomah County auditor Jennifer McGuirk, and concerns that Portland City Council might not renew their contract with the joint office.

In addition, Field reacts to comments made by City Council Candidate Daniel Demelo regarding criticism of the joint office.